ABSTRACT
The book ends by considering developments in the digital age. It begins with a potential objection that the artistic media discussed in this study are traditional ones, and are now being left behind—challenged by the rise of mass culture, and forms of writing, music, and visual creation where traditional idioms play no significant role. In particular, electronic media present entirely new challenges to the very concept of art. The chapter argues that this is actually not the case. In particular, canonic values persist. This is because digital media ensure their broad distribution and influence. Indeed, whilst traditional questions of skill and moral edification have been completely abandoned, non-traditional art media—including ‘found’ material and performance—have acquired canonic aspects. They create works experienced in terms of aesthetic possibilities, including political insight. This is also true of digital/electronic media—which extend the scope of art into new areas, creating new canons. This theory is discussed in relation to works by Manfred Mohr, David Em, Olia Lialina, Victoria Vesna, and Char Davies.
